New medical training program for PHS
Students can start the program, called
Piedmont’s Health Science iWork
Academy, in the fall of 2014.
Students who sign up for the academy
will have the chance to work as interns at
local doctors’ offices.
“It’s a win for us, a win for our students, and it’s a win for the local health
care providers getting a quality employ-

LAURA GADDY
Consolidated News Service
Educators here are using a $99,000
state grant to start a program to give students the chance to earn certification as
nursing assistants before they earn high
school diplomas.

ee,” said Mike Hayes, Piedmont schools’
director of administrative services.
Students can enroll in the program
beginning in the ninth grade, and they can
take one medical class per year up until
the 11th grade. At that point, they will
also be given the opportunity to become
certified nursing assistants, Hayes said.
In their senior year, students can sign up

More chemo bags can now be filled
for cancer patients, thanks to a spring
fashion show benefiting Venecia’s
Foundation Friday night at the Solid
Rock Café. A total of $1200 was raised,
which makes Venecia Butler, a happy
person.
“We had a great turnout in spite of
the rain,” said Butler. “On behalf of
Venecia’s Foundation, I want to thank
everyone who participated and attended
the fashion show. I’m amazed and
humbled by the support we receive.”
Butler expressed her appreciation to
Jackie Law for putting the show together,
and to Jennifer Gillette for the use of
the Solid Rock Café. She also thanked
those who provided door prizes, which
included Lovers by Glover, Jessica Bass
with Thirty-One, The Willow Tree,
Swank Boutique, With Love Boutique,
Sweet Peas Boutique, BJ Lyle with
Thirty-One, Salon Alon, Phyllis Hunt
with Blue Willow Bracelets, Lisa’s Gifts
and Borris Powell.
Since Venecia’s Foundation was
incorporated last May, the foundation
has given 271 care bags to chemo
patients, $3,700 in gas cards to radiation
patients, 11 portable DVD players,

to be interns at doctors’ offices as well as
enroll in medical-related college courses,
Hayes said.
The school system consulted
Jacksonville State University, Gadsden
State Community College, Regional
Medical Center and area physicians when

Lexie Goss shows off a colorful spring outfit during the fashion show Friday night at the Solid Rock Cafe.

Dylan Akin, 18,
has been on plenty of
field trips. There was
one in 2005 however, that touched him
more than anything
ever has. He knew
before the end of the
day what he wanted
to do when he grew
up.
His third grade
class visited the
Space and Rocket
Center in Huntsville
that day. At the
AKIN
IMAX Theatre, students watched a film
that was presented by Boeing about a fighter
pilot.
Since then, Akin has dreamed of being
a fighter pilot himself. To his delight, that
dream is coming true.
He will leave June 26 for Colorado
Springs, Colo., where he will spend the next
four years at the United States Air Force
Academy.
■ See AKIN, page 5

JOURNAL FEATURE

Robert Earl Acker continues
family’s tradition of farming
President of Cherokee County Farmers Federation
MARGARET ANDERSON
Journal News Editor
Robert Earl Acker grew up in Spring Garden,
where families have made their living by farming
for generations. Acker’s family is no different. He
grew up watching his grandfather and father farm.
After graduating from Auburn University in
1963, he thought he’d try something different.
He took a job at a poultry plant in Carrollton, Ga.
Acker wasn’t
happy the entire eight months he
666000999999
PU
MAG 80 NBAR .0104 BWA -0.0015
worked
there.
THE PEIDMONT JOURNEL

“I decided that wasn’t for me,” he said. “I
couldn’t stand the concrete walls.”
For the past 40 years, Acker has been a happy
man as a farmer.
He and his brother, Dennis, farm about 1400
acres in Spring Garden, Vigo and Ellisville. They
grow cotton, corn soybeans and wheat.
Making a living as a farmer isn’t an easy job,
said Acker.
“You have to stay on top of things,” he said.
Anita Kilgore

A good many of you found last week’s historical
column interesting. You seemed fascinated about
the vast diversity regarding the folks who settled in
South Alabama versus those who homesteaded North
Alabama at the state’s origination.
You found it even more interesting how close the
secession from the Union vote was in 1861 with
the vote falling in line with regional sentiment with
South Alabamians for and North Alabamians against
secession. However, the most enthralling passage was
my brief mention of Winston County and its legendary
stand to secede from Alabama when Alabama seceded
from the union. This bold anomaly really piqued
your interest. Therefore, this week I will expound on
the in-depth details of the story of the “Free State of
Winston.”
Winston County is a quiet rural county of about
24,000 people. It is about 75 miles northwest of
Birmingham. Its closest neighboring cities of any size
are Jasper and Florence. It is nestled into the heart of
Northwest Alabama. In fact the county newspaper in
Haleyville is named the Northwest Alabamian.
Like many rural counties in our state, there are a
lot more trees than people. The William Bankhead
National Forest encompasses most of Winston County.
The county was named for Alabama’s Gov. John
Winston. He served two terms as governor from 1853
to 1857.
Winston was not from that neck of the woods. He
was a slave-owner from Sumter County but a staunch
Jacksonian Democrat who stood up to the railroad
interests. With the election of Abraham Lincoln as
president, the inevitable secessionist movement began.
Lincoln’s platform as the newly minted Republican
Party candidate was to abolish slavery.
South Carolina was the first state to secede. They

were soon followed by
Mississippi, Georgia,
Alabama, Louisiana,
Steve Florida and Texas.
Flowers Later Virginia, North
Carolina, Tennessee
and Arkansas left the
Union. These southern
states became the
Confederate States of
Inside The Statehouse America.
Many reasons were
given for seceding. However, the primary reason was
that Lincoln planned to abolish slavery. The men who
controlled these states’ political machinations did not
want to give up their slaves.
On April 12, 1861, shots were fired on Fort Sumter in
South Carolina. These shots were the beginning of the
Civil War. Once the shots were fired, the last four states
to join the Confederacy quickly seceded as well.
When Virginia seceded, their western mountainous
counties had no intention of leaving the Union so they
formed their own state of West Virginia and stayed
with the Union. A similar occurrence was festering in
Alabama. The folks of North Alabama were similar
to the mountain people of West Virginia. They did not
have plantation style farming. They were small yeoman
farmers who cultivated their own 40 acres with one
mule. In short, they did not own nor did they need
slaves. Therefore, they felt like they did not have a dog
in the fight.
These North Alabama counties did not care much
about the slave issue nor secession. These folks in
North Alabama had more in common with their
neighbors and cousins to the north in Tennessee, which
was the last state to leave the Union and join the

Confederacy. These North Alabama hill farmers were
very religious and extremely independent.
Winston County epitomized this independent
virtue. The hill people of Winston County owned no
slaves, worked their own fields, went to church and
did not want to be bothered. When Alabama held its
secession convention in 1861, Winston County voted
overwhelmingly for a 22-year-old schoolteacher
named Christopher Sheats to be their delegate. Sheats
and Winston County refused to sign the secession
document. The residents of Winston County were proud
of Sheats. They were in approval. The independent
people of Winston County were not going to be pushed
around. They saw Alabama’s secession from the Union
as their rationale to secede from Alabama.
The rest of Alabama and the Confederacy resented
Winston County’s insubordination. However, the people
of the Free State of Winston stood their ground. In July
1961, a meeting took place in Winston County at a
place called Looney’s Tavern. They officially seceded
from Alabama. However, the resolution was more of
an act of neutrality. Winston County wanted more than
anything to just be left alone. It was a call for neutrality
where an estimated 3,000 people, almost the entire
population of Winston County, attended the meeting.
Today, if you travel through Winston County and
drive by the courthouse in the town of Double Springs,
you will see a statue of a Civil War soldier, half Union
and half Confederate, commemorating the county’s
divided loyalties during the war. The legacy of the Free
State of Winston lives on.
Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political
columnist. His column appears weekly in 72 Alabama
newspapers. Steve served 16 years in the state
legislature. He may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.

Morrison is teacher and friend

Local environmental enthusiast Renee Morrison
recently won the Roosevelt-Ashe Conservation Award
for Outstanding Educator in Conservation. More than
a half-million students and thousands of adults would
likely agree that Morrison deserves any award she
receives for her work throughout the past 20 years. Her
positive attitude, bright personality, and smiling eyes
enhance the message she loves to share: God connects
nature and man in ways that should be respected and
enjoyed.
Morrison is the assistant director of the Jacksonville
State University (JSU) Field Schools and is a part
of the JSU’s Environmental Policy and Information
Center known as EPIC. She conducts and participates
in hundreds of environmentally related events each
year, such as teaching people, especially children, how
to appreciate nature. Also, she works with JSU students in their various fields of study. Her work takes
place mostly in locations accessible to everyone, such
as Little River Canyon National Preserve where JSU
oversees the Little River Canyon Center, Talladega
National Forest, and at sites throughout Alabama.
Morrison tells about one student who became infatuated with both the message and the teacher. She was
standing among a group of children and talking to
them about how to build fairy houses. Suddenly her
elbow grew warm and wet. “I looked down and a little
girl had licked my elbow,” said Morrison. “She looked
up and said, ‘I wanted to know if you tasted as good as
you teach.’”
Morrison knows how to keep students’ attention,
such as when she shows them the pet hognose snake
she carries in her pocket or allows them to experience
the opportunity to wade in a creek or catch a jar of
lightning bugs. However, no memory is as vivid as the

one that shaped her
life.
Morrison was five
years old and livSherry ing in Choccolocco
Kughn on the family
dairy farm when
they learned that
a beloved uncle
had been killed by
Sherry-Go-Round
a grizzly bear at
Yellowstone National
Park. “This was a man who had made me cinnamon
toast and carried me to see the family cows,” she said.
Shocked to see her grandmother so distraught at the
news, Morrison crawled beneath the dining room table
and listened to biologist Dr. Frank Craighead’s explanation of what had happened. She thought of the bear
that was hungry because the park officials had sealed
off the garbage cans. Also, Morrison thought of her
uncle who was only guilty of being in the wrong place
at the wrong time. She knew instinctively that the incident had been the fault of neither. If only people understood wildlife and the importance of respecting wild
places, she remembers thinking; and she wanted to be
the one to tell them.
“I didn’t know it at the moment,” said Morrison, “but
I later realized that I had made a decision that would
lead me to a career in environmental education.”
Morrison said she appreciates the recent award,
which was bestowed by her peers in environmental
education, and she credits her success to the opportunities given to her by JSU and various partners in environmental education. She is thrilled that there is a new
consensus among them. The Environmental Education

Association of Alabama, of which Morrison served
as president last year, recently took part in the first
Southeastern Environmental Education Conference.
Educators form networks which help everyone
involved, especially those in Alabama.
“If someone from the Gulf Coast calls me and
wants me to come there to teach, I connect them with
environmental education partners in their area,” said
Morrison. “It’s not about me or my success, but it
is about being fruitful in what we do and seeing a
change.”
The change that she is referring to occurred during
the 1980s when mainstream education shifted away
from environmental education concerns. Also, children
began staying indoors too much. Many schools stopped
allowing students to go on field trips and take recess
breaks. “Those things have educational value,” said
Morrison. “Studies show that children who participate
in nature-based learning have fewer attention-deficit
and obsessive-compulsive disorders and less stress.”
Parents and grandparents have told Morrison what
a difference her suggestions make in their children’s
lives. She tells them to go on a picnic with them, walk
barefoot in the grass, go hiking, or barbecue outdoors.
That’s what kids want.”
Morrison’s passion for what she does is based on
faith.
“I see God reflected in everything, from a star in the
sky to a child holding a tadpole,” she said. “Nature
allows me to see a little glimpse of the Creator, and
even though I don’t always talk about those things, I
try to show people that glimpse with the passion I have
for them.”
Email Sherry at sherrykug@hotmail.com

Washington isn’t serving people, becoming fearful master
March 23, 1775, in St. John’s Church, Richmond,
Virginia, the Second Virginia Convention met to discuss continuing oppression of colonialists by the British
Crown. While many among the representatives advised
patience and hope that the British would grant petitions
filed by states, Patrick Henry pointed out what had
become obvious after ten years of petitions.
Henry knew his opinions would likely offend many in
the convention, but knew also the price they would likely
pay if he failed to opine, saying, “Should I keep back my
opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offence, I
should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my

The Piedmont Journal
The Piedmont Journal Established 1907
Combined with The Piedmont Independent 1982
ISSN 08906017
Second class postage paid in Piedmont, Alabama.
Published weekly by Consolidated Publishing.

country, and of an act
of disloyalty toward the
majesty of heaven, which
revere above all earthly
Daniel Ikings.”
Gardner Our founders had tasted liberty and freedom,
but realized the British
were slowly infringing
on their God-given rights
My Thoughts
in the name of loyalty
to government. There is
a huge difference between loyalty to government and
patriotism for country, and Patrick Henry knew that
difference. He said, “For my own part, I consider it as
nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery….”
Many are asking today how close we are to similar
circumstances with our government infringing our rights
to free speech, freedom to practice religion, freedom to
bear arms, and freedom to raise grievances against our
government for those infringements. Is our progressive
government enslaving us in the name of caring for us
and providing for all our needs, calling these needs ‘entitlements’ and ‘rights?’
No doubt, the mood of the country as measured by
polls shows Americans are fed up with Washington’s
interference with our businesses and daily lives. Has
it become ‘a question of freedom or slavery’ as Henry
argued? I believe so.
What are we slaves to if not those things upon which
we have become dependent? Are we dependent on the
government for money, food, housing, utility bills,

NEWS: 256-235-3531
ADVERTISING: 256-235-9234

Subscription Rates:
1 Year In County - $20
2 Years In County - $35
1 Year Out Of County - $33
2 Years Out Of County - $62
(Prices Include Sales Tax)
Postal regulations require all subscription to be paid in advance.
To subscribe, mail cash, check or money order,
along with your name and complete mailing address to:
The Piedmont Journal, P.O. Box 2285, Anniston, AL 36202
POSTMASTER, send change of address to :
The Piedmont Journal, P.O. Box 2285, Anniston, AL 36202

disabilities, child welfare, and on and on? Then, we’re
slaves to the government. Do we make the government
do anything? Or, does the government dictate to us how
we have to do everything … for the common good, of
course?
Someone said, “Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and
a fearful master.” Washington has long since abandoned
serving the people and has become a fearful master.
Today as in Patrick Henry’s day, the government is ruling over us with taxes and onerous regulations. We the
people have no control over government ruled by career
politicians and bureaucrats who are not held accountable.
Hopefully we can regain control over government
through the ballot box. But, so many are dependent on
government for their livelihoods, we’re likely to see
elections won by political royalty who promise to care
for those enslaved to ‘entitlements.’
Henry closed his famous speech with these three
sentences: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be
purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it,
Almighty God! I know not what course others may take;
but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
Independence from government oppression, love of
country, and reverence toward God are founding values
in America. God bless America!
Daniel L. Gardner is a syndicated columnist who lives
in Starkville, MS. You may contact him at Daniel@
DanLGardner.com, or visit his website at http://www.
danlgardner.com Feel free to interact with him on the
Clarion-Ledger feature blog site blogs.clarionledger.
com/dgardner/

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
•
•
•
•

A letter writer will be limited to one printed submission a month.
The Piedmont Journal reserves the right to edit (or not publish) letters that uses inappropriate language,
libels someone or are too long.
The letters must be 250 words or less. It is preferable if you email us the letter or send a Word document
file. However, we will take handwritten letters.
To get published, a name, city and phone number must accompany each submission. The name and city will
only be printed. Phone numbers are for verification. Please send to jalred@jaxnews.com or John Alred, P.O.
Box 2285, Anniston, 36202

THE PIEDMONT JOURNAL

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014 PAGE 3

Obituaries
HARRIS

Piedmont - Funeral
service for Norma Long
Harris, 98, was held Thursday, April 10, 2014, at 2
p.m. at Thompson Funeral Home with the
Rev. Garry Brown officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. The family received friends from 12 - 2
p.m. prior to the funeral.
Mrs.
Harris
died
Monday, April 7, 2014,
at Piedmont Health Care
Center.
Survivors include one
son, David Harris, of
Piedmont; sister-in-law,
Ruby Gresham, of Piedmont; several nieces,
nephews and cousins;
her caregivers, Wendy
Young and Donna Price.
Pallbearers will be
Bunk Maddox, Kenneth
Thomas, Scott Maddox,
Eddie Baldwin, Marty

Raney and Patrick Raney. Honorary pallbearers will be George Mallows, Wayne Ledbetter
and Johnny Pace.
Mrs. Harris was a
resident of Piedmont
most of her life, was a
charter member of Dailey Street Baptist Church
where she was active in
programs for the youth
and was a member of
Lozahatchee #99 Order
of the Eastern Star.
She was preceded in
death by her husband,
Willis D. Harris; parents,
Ed and Mattie Long and
five brothers and sisters.
Flowers may be sent
or memorial contributions may be made to the
Piedmont Rescue Squad,
PO Box 333, Piedmont,
AL 36272.
www.thompson
funeralhome
piedmont.com

Piedmont man gets three
life sentences for kidnap,
sex abuse and rape of
four-year-old
EDDIE BURKHALTER
Consolidated News Service
A Piedmont man will likely spend the rest of his life
behind bars for the rape, kidnapping and sexual abuse of
a 4-year-old girl in 2013.
Calhoun County Circuit Judge Debra Jones on Monday morning sentenced Raleigh Steven
Rowan, 29, to three life terms without
the possibility of parole for two counts
of first-degree sodomy and one count of
first-degree rape. Jones also sentenced
Rowan to 99 years for kidnapping the
girl and 20 years for sexual abuse of a
child younger than 12.
Rowan admitted to sexually abusing
the girl, and told the court during his
ROWAN
March trial that he abducted the victim
from her Piedmont home on Feb. 5,
2013.
Prosecutors told the jury during the trial that the girl
suffered bite marks, scrapes and bruises all over her
body. Investigators found DNA evidence that linked
Rowan to the victim.
“The state is very satisfied and appreciates the judge’s
sentence,” Jennifer Weems, the assistant district attorney
who prosecuted the case, said by phone after the sentencing.
Defense attorney Bill Broome disagreed with Jones’
ruling, telling the court that he expects to file a motion
soon for a new trial.
“There are some constitutional issues,” Broome said
after the hearing.
Broome said Alabama law only allows for a maximum
sentence of not more than 99 years for the sodomy and
rape convictions.
State law does allow life sentences without parole for
those crimes if the person convicted was 21 years of age
or older, and the victim was younger than 12 at the time
of the crimes, but the prosecution didn’t address that part
of the statute in the indictment, Broome said.
Weems said that according to research by the district’s
attorney’s office, Alabama case law upholds the sentences
as legal.
“And should the higher courts send it back to us for
a sentencing hearing, then the state would ask for 416
years,” Weems said.
Staff Writer Eddie Burkhalter: 256-235-3563. On Twitter @burkhalter_star

Community Capsule

• The White Plains Alumni Association’s annual
fellowship/awards banquet will be in the Christian
Life Center Fellowship Hall of Harmony Baptist
Church in Choccolocco on Saturday. Meet and Greet
will begin at 5 p.m. with the meal at 6. Guest Speak
will be Greg Morrow, a 1984 graduate of White
Plains.
• Those with relatives buried in the Philadelphia
Church cemetery are asked to come to a cleanup day at
both the church and the cemetery at 8 a.m. on May 10.
• Philadelphia Baptist Church will hold its annual
decoration beginning at 10:30 a.m. May 18. Refined
will sing. Lunch will be served.
• Nances Creek Community Center will have Trade
Day and Farmers Market starting at 7 a.m. the first Saturday of each month beginning in May through October.
There is no set-up fee.
• The White Plains Alumni Association is having
a membership drive. Those eligible are graduates of
White Plains, attendees who may not have graduated,
and persons who may not have attended White Plains
but desires to support the schools and students. The
White Plains Alumni Association awarded four $1,000
college scholarships to deserving White Plains seniors
last year. Donations pay for these annual scholarships.
For more information call Alvin Robertson at 256236-8780, Bill Ward at 256-236-3629, Brenda Morgan
at 256-435-3725 or Norman Parker at 256-447-7563.
• A series of free gardening programs sponsored
by the Calhoun County Master Gardeners will be held
from noon - 1 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of the
month from April through September at Cane Creek
Community Gardens, McClellan. Please bring your
lunch. For more information call the Calhoun County
Extension Office at 256-237-1621. The following
programs are scheduled.
• Beyond My Backyard. Lunch and Learn, April
23: Rene Morrison, JSU Field School,
• Propagating Hydrangeas. Lunch and Learn, May:
28: David Doggett, Jefferson County Master Gardener.
• June 25: Hayes Jackson, ACES, “Sensational
Salvias”
• July 23: Dani Carroll, ACES, “Creating a Bee
Friendly Garden”
• Aug. 27: Jason Powell, Petals from the Past,
“Tough Plants for Southern Gardens.”
• Sept. 24: Hayes Jackson, ACES, “Easy Plants for
Difficult Places.”
• The Calhoun County Community Band meets
every Tuesday night at 6:30 at the Jacksonville High
School band room.
• Bradford Health Services has free family support
meetings from 5-6 Monday nights at 1701 B Pelham
Rd., S., Suite D (Brookstone Building next to RMC
Jacksonville). The meeting is for anyone experiencing
behavioral problems with a loved one, has a family
member of any age with drug or alcohol problems, needs
help coping with a loved one’s drug or alcohol problems
or needs help making decision on how to help a family member of any age. A counselor will facilitate the
meetings.
• Venecia Benefield Butler’s book, “I Have to Get
Some Things Off My Chest,” can be purchased for $15
(including tax) by mailing a check to P. O. Box 572,
Piedmont 36262, or take money or check to Butler’s
sister, Randa Carroll, at the office of Benjamin Ingram
at 207 Rome, Ave., Piedmont. Proceeds will go to the
V Foundation, founded by Butler, to purchase gift bags
for patients going through chemo treatments. The bags
will include items such as comedy DVDs, chap stick,

Advertise
with The
Piedmont
Journal !
Call
Shannon
at 256
235-9234

www.thepiedmontjournal.com

gift cards, gas cards, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, searcha-word, lubricant eye drops, gum and peppermints, soft
toothbrushes, queasy drops, lotion, neck wrap or hydrating
socks.
• Dogs for the Deaf, located in Central Point, Ore., is
a non-profit organization that rescues dogs from animal
shelters and trains them to help adults and children with
different disabilities, challenges, and needs. For example,
a Hearing Dog is trained to alert its owner to household
sounds that could affect his or her safety and an Autism
Assistance Dog would keep an autistic child out of
traffic, bodies of water, and other dangerous situations.
Chris Hill, a resident of Anniston and a volunteer “ambassador” for Dogs for the Deaf, has a DVD presentation
he will give to civic and community organizations or
individuals. Contact him at 835-6918
• New classes for the Jacksonville State University
Adult Wellness classes are at 8 a.m. in Pete Mathews
Colseium. Senior water aerobics and senior floor aerobic
classes are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Senior water
aerobics and senior therapeutic yoga classes are on Tuesday and Thursday. Contact Aubrey Crossen at 256-6892580 or jsu9517k@jsu.edu for more information.
• Piedmont Health Care has started an Alzheimer’s
support group designed to increase public awareness and
enhance individual and family education regarding Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. For more information
call social services director Yolanda Pierce 447-8258, ext.
232. Refreshments will be provided.

My child
So if we could have you back
Just one day,
You could let us know to cope until
That judgement day,
When we’ll be together as a family
Once again,
In loving memory of When we’ll be happy and
Free from all this pain,
Oh! It’s so hard to live when
Your child has to die,
Then we spend our lifetime trying
9/28/1989 - 4/28/2007 To say goodbye!

Jacklyn
Mackensie
Hooper

We love you and miss you, and we are looking for that
great reunion in the sky!
We love you!
Mommy, Daddy, Jason, and Morgan

PRE-K REGISTRATION

Pre-K registration forms are being accepted at
Spring Garden School now through April 30th.
Prospective students must be residents of Alabama and
be four years old on or before September 1st.
The drawing for Pre-K enrollment will be held
Monday, May 5, 2014 at 2:30 p.m.
Please stop by or call Spring Garden School
if you need more information.

(256) 447-7045

WHATS HAPPENING IN PIEDMONT?

YOU WILL KNOW
WITH A SUBSCRIPTION TO

The Piedmont Journal
Never miss an issue or dig for the exact change!
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of your hometown paper!
Save money off the newsstand price!
Check one:
Best Deal One Year $20.00 (in Calhoun County)
One Year $33.00 (outside Calhoun County)
Payment must be included
Name: ________________________________ Phone______________________
Address: _______________________City: _______________Zip: ____________
Email:____________________________________________________________

“If you haven’t seen us lately… you haven’t seen us at all ”
1116 James Hopkins Road SW, Jacksonville, AL 36265
Phone: 256.782.0960 • Fax: 256.782.0964 • legacyjacksonville.net

PAGE 4 / WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

THE PIEDMONT JOURNAL

Cindy Acker left jobs behind to focus on family
Worked for years in healthcare

C

MARGARET ANDERSON
Journal News Editor

indy Acker
e n j o y s
listening
to
God’s
word every
chance she
gets. She
also likes
to read the Bible and Christian
books. She recently finished Bill
O’Reilly’s book, “Killing Jesus.”
Cindy and her husband, Robert
Earl, are members of Liberty
Baptist Church, where she has
taught the ladies Sunday school
class for the past five years.
She previously taught her son’s
classes from childhood to teen.
The church is in the process
of renovating the kitchen, and
Cindy and the other women of the
church are happy that they have
been able to choose the cabinets.
Cindy was born and grew up on
the Bynum Leatherwood Road in
Anniston. Her parents are William
“Sonny” and Louise Matthews of
Wellington. Her mother, Edna
Matthews, lives in the Bynum
Leatherwood community. Her
four siblings are Steve Matthews
of Gadsden, Phil Matthews and
his wife Betty of the Bynum
Leatherwood community, Tammy
Powell and her husband Frank
of Trussville and Todd Matthews
and his wife Sonya of Tuscaloosa.
Cindy
graduated
from
Alexandria
High
School,
then attended Gadsden State
Community College where she
received an associate in science
degree. She completed a medical
assistant degree from New World
College of Business.
She worked at Stringfellow
Hospital for 12 years. After

marrying Robert, she moved to
Spring Garden and worked for
BCM Cherokee Hospital for
several years. She also worked
for Piedmont Healthcare as an
assistant in social services. She
was later named director of social
services.
“It was such a blessing to be a
part of PHC,” said Cindy. “The
staff and residents were like
family. My last job with Piedmont
Eye Care was also rewarding. Dr.
Mohon, the staff and the patients
were wonderful. I will always
smile when I think of them.”
Cindy’s husband needed her at
home so she left her jobs behind
and focused on her family, which
includes helping with the health
care of her mother.
“I’m blessed to have wonderful
parents and a devoted husband,”
she said.
Cindy has three sons. Kenny
Kirk and his wife, Jessica, live
in Spring Garden with their sons
Quinton, 11, and Brady, 5. Kenny
works at NABI in Oxford. Josh
Kirk and his fiancé, Beth Shuler,
live in the Bynum Leatherwood
Community. Josh works at
Honda. Robby, who also works
for NABI, attends Gadsden State.
He lives with his parents.
Cindy said she always thought
she’d have a daughter or
granddaughter, but she’s happy
with her three sons and two
grandsons. What she enjoys more
than anything is being with her
family, especially on holidays.
“I love my family,” she said.
“We’ve got so many treasured
memories from family gatherings
with Robert’s side of the family
and mine also.”
Cindy is a member of the
Cherokee
County
Farmers
Federation Women’s Committee.
“We have several projects we

Anita Kilgore

Cindy Acker at home in her kitchen.
do over the year,” she said. “The
most current was a booth set up
at the Home and Garden Show in
Centre. We helped Beth Farmer
show the ag trailer. Inside it was a
simulator cotton picker. It looked
like you were riding in a cotton
picker, but you weren’t.”
Cindy said the committee also
assists a resident at the Centre
Nursing Home who has no family.
“We all take a month and buy
goodies for her,” said Cindy.
Cindy is also a member of the
Cherokee County Genealogical
Society and is happy on the
research done on her family as

can beets. Pour some
of the juice off. Add a
little sugar and cook
until tender, mashing
with potato masher and
cooking juice off. Add
this to cake mixture and
bake according to cake
mix directions.
Frost with your favorite
cream cheese frosting.
VIDALIA ONION
CASSEROLE
5 or 6 Vidalia onions,
sliced
1 lg. bag potato chips
Cheddar
cheese
grated (I use sharp)
2 cans cream of
mushroom soup
1/2 c. or more milk
In a 9x13 baking dish,
place a layer of sliced
onions. Sprinkle a layer
of cheese on onions,
then place a layer of
crushed potato chips.
Repeat with layer of
onions, cheese and
potato chips. Top with
the soup, which has
been mixed with the
milk. Sprinkle crushed
potato chips on the top.
Cover with foil and bake

mother’s dressing,” she said. “I
just throw everything together
like she did. The secret to good
dressing is to use a hen and lots of
broth from that hen.”
Cindy said Robert tells her it
tastes like candy.
Corn Salad, which was her
great-grandmother’s recipe, is
one of Cindy’s favorite. It won
first place in the Cherokee county
Cooking Contest. It keeps for
days in the refrigerator.
She also likes Best Red Velvet
Cake Ever, Vidalia Onion
Casserole and Easy Egg Noodle
Ragu Special.

A LOOK BACK
IN HISTORY

RECIPES
CORN SALAD

well as her husband’s family.
Her favorite hobbies are flower
and vegetable gardening, basket
weaving, crocheting, canning,
freezing and cutting grass.
“I’ve been putting up things
out of the garden and making
jelly since I was in my 20s,”
she said. “One thing I do that
everybody seems to love is sweet
red cucumber rings. It tastes
like an apple. It’s really crunchy
and good. My dear friend Jane
Pentecost gave me the recipe.”
While growing up, Cindy
watched her mother cook.
“I don’t have a recipe for my

Foundation Stones
Hauled With Oxen

Submitted photo

ABOVE: About 60 years before this photo was made George M. Freeman
hauled from a nearby mountain two of the foundation stones for the first
Coosa Plant. “Stones so heavy mule drivers afraid of them but knew my
oxen would hold back so I brought ‘em down the mountain”, Mr. Freeman
explained.
(Editor’s note: The Piedmont Journal has begun publishing older photographs on
a regular basis. Those having older photographs who would like them published can
send them to jalred@jaxnews.com or akilgore@jaxnews.com. Identify the people in the
photo and, if possible, include some information about it.)

Parker Griffith, former congressman and current Democratic candidate for
governor, visited Piedmont High School on Monday. Griffith came to the
school to see what Piedmont is doing that is changing the face of Alabama’s
public education system. Pictured with Griffith are student Denard Spears,
superintendent Matt Akin, and student Dylan Akin.

Submitted photo

Heath Jones, Republican candidate for the Alabama House of Representatives, District 39, visited Piedmont High School. Piedmont was recently
gerrymandered into House District 39. Jones toured the campus facilities
and visited classrooms. Pictured, career tech teacher Mark Mitchell, student
Tyler Gowens, student Skyler Jones, and Heath Jones in the Agriscience
Building at PHS.

AKIN: PHS senior is looking forward to a career in Air Force
From page 1

“I knew in the fall I would be going, but it wasn’t official until early February,” said Akin. “There’s a long and
tedious application process that begins the summer before
your senior year. It includes writing an essay and you must
have high ACT scores. You also have to make good grades
in school, pass a physical fitness test, have leadership
experience and then pass an interview. It’s not easy. Along
with all of that you have to be nominated by a senator or
congressman.”
Akin received nominations from Congressman Mike
Rogers, Sen. Richard Shelby and Sen. Jeff Sessions. Even
with a nomination, there is no guarantee of acceptance.
The academy offers admission to about 1,000 of the over
10,000 applicants. Akin recalls how he was notified of his
acceptance.
“I’ll never forget the night in November when Congressman Rogers called my cell phone and told me that I had been
selected for admission to the academy,” said Akin.
Akin will spend the first six weeks at the academy in basic
cadet training. He’ll start classes in August. Freshmen have
the same classes, and includes a lot of math, science and
engineering that he’ll have to pass before he can get his
degree in aeronautical engineering. That’s fine with him
though. He likes those subjects.
Though he’s nervous about going, he’s looking forward
to attending the academy and later having a career in the
Air Force.
“I’m ready to be there,” he said. “It’s going to be four
years of hard work. It’s definitely going to be the hardest
thing I’ve ever been through in my life, and I’m definitely
going to come out a better person because of it.”
Akin said his parents, Amy Scott and Matt Akin, are
nervous.
“But they know that’s what I want, so that’s what they
want too,” he said.
Last year, when Akin was 17, he earned his pilot’s license.
He rents a plane out of Gadsden and likes to fly family and
friends over Piedmont so they can see their houses and
schools.
“A lot of people are afraid to fly with me because I’m so

Submitted photo

Dylan Akin flies family and friends over Piedmont to see their homes and schools.
young,” said Akin. “I’ve flown to Destin, but I usually fly
around Piedmont. This is definitely the most exciting thing
I’ve ever done in my life so far.”
Akin will graduate as valedictorian at Piedmont High
School next month. He’s maintained a 4.0 grade point
average throughout high school. He’s also been the SGA
president for the past two years and he made a 32 on his
ACT. He’s worked for Clifford Lawler at Carquest since
March 2011.

At the end of his four years at the academy he will have
a bachelor of science degree and a commission as a 2nd
lieutenant in the Air Force. He then will hopefully have the
opportunity to attend flight school and become a pilot in the
U.S. Air Force.
“This is a great honor,” he said. “I’ve always worked hard
to achieve this goal.”
(Contact Margaret at pollya922@gmail.com)

ACKER: Is a family man
From page 1

“You have to market your crop
and watch expenses closely.”
Though it’s a hard job, it’s not
quite as difficult as it once was,
said Acker.
“Let’s say it’s not as hard as it
was 12 to 14 years back,” he said.
The no till farming has taken a
lot of the work out of it. We don’t
plow the ground anymore. If we
still had to do it that way, we’d
have to have four tractors running
in the field. You couldn’t afford it
with the price of gas today.”
Acker said he’s always liked
being outdoors. He also likes
being his own boss.
Acker is the son of Earl Acker
and the late Margaret (Love)
Acker. He has two sisters. Brenda
Ferguson lives in Las Vegas, and
Marsha Kerns lives in Fort Payne.
Acker said at one time he liked
to play golf, but has gotten away
from it.
“I’ve never done much
hunting,” he said. “My son likes

to go camping. He’s been trying
to get us to go with him, but so far
we’ve held out.”
He and his wife, Cindy, are
members of Liberty Baptist
Church where he holds the
position of church treasurer.
They have three sons and two
grandsons.
Acker has served as president
of the Cherokee County Farmers
Federation for the past five years.
It’s a time consuming, yet
rewarding job, he said.
“Things pop up that need to
be done, usually when you’re at
your busiest,” he said. “As long
as you’ve got cell phones, that
helps take care of a lot of things
right there.”
Acker said his hours are long.
He’s up and out of the house
early.
“I usually try to quit about
6:45,” he said. “But I try to call it
a day by at least 7.”
(Contact
Margaret
at
pollya922@gmail.com)

Anita Kilgore

The Acker family, Cindy, Robert Earl and Robbie at their home in Spring Garden.

PROGRAM: Program will introduce opportunities for students
From page 1

it began developing new program, Hayes said.
Piedmont High School counselor Sandra Akin said
students have already shown interest in the program. She
and Principal Adam Clemons expect 85 students to begin
taking the courses in the fall, though there are as many as
150 openings for the school’s 340 students.
“We have a lot of students each year who express an
interest in the medical field,” Akin said. “Now we’re
giving them an opportunity to decide at an early age if
they’re really interested.”
Junior Hanna Bedwell wants to be a physical therapist’s
assistant. She said she decided to enroll in the program

because it will help her prepare for life after high school.
Her classmate, sophomore Cameron Pickens, is set on
becoming a registered nurse.
“I’m excited because we don’t have to wait until college
to learn about this,” Pickens said.
Chasity Tucker, a junior who wants to work as a medical
aide in the military, said she decided to become a nurse’s
assistant as soon as Akin told her class about the new
program.
“That’s amazing to get that in high school,” Tucker said,
of the opportunity to earn a certification while in high
school. “I signed up right after they said that.”
The grant comes from the 21st Century Workforce
Act, approved by the Legislature in 2013, through which

provides $50 million in grants to support career technical
programs across the state.
Piedmont’s grant will pay for supplies needed to start
the program. Other funding sources will pay the salary of
a registered nurse who will be hired to teach the course,
because the grant can’t be used for that person’s salary,
Hayes said.
Items to be purchased with the funding include medical
supplies, such as a wheelchair and a hospital bed. Up to
$50,000 of the grant money can be used to buy a dummy
that can be programed to exhibit a range of illnesses.
Staff Writer Laura Gaddy: 256-235-3544. On Twitter
@LGaddy_Star

Piedmont players Easton Kirk and Jaret Prater celebrate after the Bulldogs took the playoff series.

Panthers continue to improve
RIP DONOVAN
Journal Sports Correspondent

Losing a lead late and falling behind by a game in a threegame series isn’t generally something a high school baseball
coach remembers fondly but Spring Garden coach Tony
Benefield’s perspective changed a little after the Panthers
came back to win games two and three of their Class 1A
playoff series at Collinsville last Friday and Saturday. Spring
Garden travels to Cedar Bluff Friday and Saturday for an
all-Area 13 second-round series with the Tigers.
“I wouldn’t take anything now for the way that series went
because we got better as a team Saturday,” Benefield said
Tuesday morning.
Benefield said all of Collinsville’s pitchers did a good job
of painting the outside edge of the plate in all three games. In
Saturday’s finale, Spring Garden had a dozen hits and won
8-5. Benefield said 10 of those hits came from right-handed
batters hitting outside pitches to the opposite field.
“We finally got it,” he said. “They realized, ‘I can hit the ball
a lot harder if I hit it where it’s pitched.’”
Benefield called on almost his entire pitching staff in the
third game. Will Westbrook could go only the first inning
because of arm trouble. Collinsville scored three runs against
him without a hit. Andrew McLarty worked the second and
third innings and allowed one hit and one run. In the fourth,
Collinsville got another hit and another run off Will Ivey.
Grant Benefield, who had pitched four innings in Game 2
Friday, took the mound in the fifth with Spring Garden trailing
5-2. Two runs in the sixth got the visitors close. In the seventh,
McLarty opened the inning with a single then stole second
base. Dylan Kirk’ sacrifice bunt moved McLarty to third and
he scored on Kyler Bellamy’s pinch-hit sacrifice fly.

With the score 5-5, the younger Benefield kept Collinsville
off the scoreboard again in the bottom of the seventh, the last
inning he could pitch. In the top of the eighth, Ivey tripled and
Benefield’s single scored him. Westbrook was hit by a pitch.
With two down, an infield error got two insurance runs home.
Freshman Joe Rogers, who had just a handful of varsity
innings under his belt, walked the first batter he faced in the
bottom of the eighth but finished with a strikeout, a ground
ball out and another strikeout.
“He came up big for us right there,” the coach said of Rogers’ performance under pressure.
Benefield was 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBIs. Ivey had
a pair of singles to go with his triple in five at-bats. McLarty
singled twice and scored twice. Dylan Kirk, Dawson Broome,
Austin Stordahl and Dylan Lewis each had one hit.
The elder Benefield said Westbrook made two run-saving
plays at first base and Lewis caught everything that was hit
to him in left field. At catcher, Leevi Maddox “had a heck of
a series.”
In Friday’s opener, Collinsville won 6-5. Spring Garden led
5-2 after five innings behind McLarty, who gave up five hits
and struck out four. Collinsville rallied for four runs, aided by
walks and miscues in the field. Benefield was 3-for-4 while
Ivey, Broome and Chase Jennings each had one hit.
Batting as the home team in Friday’s second game, Spring
Garden came back to win 14-4 in five innings. Spring Garden
led 12-1 after four innings as Benefield struck out five while
allowing one hit and one run. Collinsville got three runs in the
top of the fifth against Lewis but Spring Garden tallied twice
in the bottom of the inning to end the game on the 10-run
mercy rule. Kirk was 3-for-3. Benefield and Broome each had
two hits. McLarty and Riley Austin each had one hit.

When your No. 1 and No. 2 starters toss complete
games and you close out a best-of-three series in two
games, as Piedmont did against Glencoe over the weekend, keeping your No. 3 pitcher sharp can be an issue.
To solve that potential problem, Piedmont coach James
Blanchard threw the Bulldogs’ No. 3 starter, his son
Bayley, against the regulars in an intra-squad scrimmage
Monday.
The benefits are threefold. The starting lineup got to
hit against a quality pitcher. The younger Blanchard got
throw about 80 pitches to a dangerous lineup and – with
the elder Blanchard throwing the reserves pitches they
could handle – the starters got a challenge when they
were in the field.
“It went real well,” the coach said of Monday’s scrimmage. “We get to see a good pitcher and he doesn’t get
stale. He gets his work in just like it was a regular game.
We treated it just like a regular game. We went seven
innings, called pitches. We did everything just like a
game. I was real pleased with it, both sides, young guys
included.”
Monday’s workout helped the Bulldogs (25-6) prepare
to host White Plains (18-11) in the second round of the
AHSAA Class 3A playoffs. Piedmont won the Area 10
title two weeks ago by sweeping a three-game series
from the Wildcats but all three games were close. White
Plains traveled to Cleveland for its opening round series,
losing the opener then winning the final two contests.
The first game of Friday’s doubleheader will start at 5
p.m. If a third game is required to settle the series, it will
be played Saturday in Piedmont with a 3 p.m. start.
Tuesday morning’s rain made it doubtful that the
Bulldogs could practice outdoors later in the day but
Blanchard said Tuesdays usually involve mostly hitting
drills and those are done indoors anyway.
Piedmont eliminated Glencoe by winning 14-4 in six
innings Friday then 11-4 in a seven-inning game Saturday. Starters Peyton Whitten and Taylor Hayes each
went the distance. Whitten struck out 10 and allowed
two earned runs in Friday’s win. He walked five. Hayes
struck out 11, walked four and allowed nine hits Saturday.
The Bulldogs had big first innings in each game. They
scored four times on two hits, an error, three walks and a
hit batter in Game 1. In Game 2, when they batted as the
visitors, the Bulldogs tallied six first-inning runs on four
hits. Game 1 ended early when three hits, six walks and
an error produced nine runs in the sixth inning, invoking
the 10-run, mercy rule. Piedmont put the second game
out of reach with four runs in the fifth inning on two hits,
three walks, a hit batter and a dropped fly in the outfield.
Everybody in the starting lineup got involved in the
two-game display of offense. Blanchard had a double
and two singles, scored three times and drove in two
runs in the series opener. Caleb Adams’ two hits included
■ See PITCHING, page 8

Piedmont girls rally
to defeat Jacksonville
three Jacksonville errors. Rachel Baggett’s single drove in one run. Apparently
disheartened, Jacksonville went down in
Piedmont carried a three-game winning
order in the bottom of the inning.
streak into Tuesday night’s softball game
Pressley had two singles in addition to
at White Plains, the final regular-season
her home run and collected four RBIs.
Class 3A, Area 10 game for the Bulldogs.
Roberts’ three hits included a triple and a
The most recent win came at Jacksonville
pair of singles. She scored three runs and
Monday as Piedmont rallied to defeat the
had an RBI. Williams, Baggett and Hannah
Golden Eagles 11-6.
Hulsizer each recorded two hits. Hulsizer’s
“Everybody had a part yesterday,” Pied- included a double. Hayden Tyree doubled
mont coach Rachel Smith said Tuesday
and scored. Madison Pike singled and
morning. “It was definitely a team win and reached home three times. Courtesy runner
one of the ones I’m most proud of because Morgan Martin scored once.
we were able to overcome errors and overWilliams picked up the win in relief of
come a large deficit to win.”
Pressley. Each allowed three runs. WilIn Monday’s game, the Bulldogs got
liams did not allow an earned run and just
single runs in the first and second innings. one of the runs charged to Pressley was
In the home half of the third, Jacksonville
earned. Williams struck out five and Pressscored three times and the Eagles added
ley fanned one.
three more runs in the fourth for a 6-2
On Thursday of last week, Piedmont
advantage.
downed visiting Gaston 7-1. Pressley
Kendall Pressley started Piedmont on the pitched all seven innings with five strikecomeback trail with a two-run home run
outs. She gave up five hits and one walk.
in the fifth inning that sent Madison Pike
Tyree was 3-for-3 with a home run and
home, too.
a double, good for two RBIs. Pike and
“That was huge. That got us back in the
Caitlin Tant also had a double each. Torre
ball game,” Smith said.
Roberts had two singles and an RBI. HulTrailing just 4-3, the Bulldogs took the
sizer and Peggy Ridley each singled twice
lead for good in the sixth when they scored and scored once. Ridley had two RBIs and
three runs – all with two away. Torre Rob- Hulsizer one. Pressley, Tant and Mallory
erts, Madison Pike and Kayleigh Williams Roberts each scored once.
each had a single to load the bases for
On April 17, the Bulldogs downed the
Pressley. Roberts scored on a passed ball
Cherokee County Warriors 6-5 at Piedthen Pressley just missed another home
mont. Cherokee County led 5-4 as Piedrun when her line drive to rightfield hit the mont came to bat in the bottom of the sevfence on the fly. When Pike and Williams
enth. Mallory Roberts doubled to start the
scored Piedmont led 7-6.
inning, the only Piedmont hit that went for
In the seventh, Piedmont added four
additional two-out runs on just one hit and ■ See GIRLS, page 8
RIP DONOVAN
Journal Sports Correspondent

and Alexander sixth. Jaden Amberson was
fifth, Krae Keener sixth and Fontaine seventh in the javelin.
Piedmont’s first steps toward potential
C.J. Savage was first in the 100-meter
Class 3A state championships in both boys
dash while Denard Spears finished fourth
and girls track come Friday and Saturday at and Thompson fifth. In the 200 dash,
Mountain Brook in the Section 3 qualifying Spears was sixth, Stanley seventh and Seth
meet. Friday’s action begins at 3 p.m. and
Pope eighth. Spears finished second in the
should conclude around 10 p.m. The meet
400 dash, Savage fourth and Jamal Young
resumes Saturday around 9 a.m. At the state eighth. In the 800-meter run, Mitchell was
meet in Selma May 2-3, Piedmont will try
eighth.
to defend last year’s boys state title and
In the hurdles, Mitchell Benefield was
earn the school’s first girls title, too.
third in the 110-meter race and fourth in the
“We’re where we need to be. All our kids 300. Fontaine was sixth in each event.
understand from last year what we had to
Justin Escamilla was eighth in the 1600
do to get to where we need to be this year
meters and fourth in the 3200 meters. Pete
and we’re where we need to be,” Bulldogs
Chaswick was eighth at 3200 meters.
track coach Mark Mitchell said Tuesday.
In the boys’ relays, Piedmont won the
“Now, it’ll be if we can just go out there
4x100 and was second in the 4x400 and
and just execute what we’re supposed to
4x800.
do. I feel pretty good about where we’re at,
Sophomore Karri Green won three events
both boys and girls.”
for the girls’ team. She was first in the 100
Prepping for the sectional meet, Piedmont hurdles, 300 hurdles and 400 dash. Joyce
traveled to Fort Payne Saturday for the
Pleze was eighth in the 400. In the 200
Wildcat Invitational. The boys finished
dash, Green was second and Carlie Flowers
second to their hosts, scoring 173 points to
third. In the 100 dash, Samirra Braswell
Fort Payne’s 190. Scottsboro was third with was sixth and Pleze eighth. Katie Stroup
129 points. The Piedmont girls scored 119.5 finished eighth in the 3200-meter run. In
points and trailed Fort Payne (211) and
girls’ relay events, Piedmont was second in
Scottsboro (126.5).
the 4x100, third in the 4x400 and third in
In the field events for boys, Dreek
the 4x800.
Thompson was first in the high jump and
In the field events for girls, Riesha
Neonta Alexander was fifth. Exavyer
Thompson finished second in the triple
Jackson was first in the shot put and fourth jump while Jaylen Major was second in the
in the discus. Jamie Crutcher was fourth
discus. Thompson was fourth in the long
and Chase Bobbitt seventh in the shot.
jump. Major came in seventh in both the
Wil Mitchell was second in the pole vault, javelin and the shot put. Kaliyah Braswell
clearing 10 feet, 6 inches for the first time
was third in the shot. Megan Mohon finin a meet, and Skylar Fontaine was fifth.
ished third and Macy Hanson fourth in the
Darnell Jackson was second in the triple
pole vault. Breanna Brazier was fifth in the
jump and sixth in the long jump. Alexander triple jump. Taylor McCord ended sixth in
was third in the long jump and Lee Stanley the javelin and Ashlin Smith was eighth in
was seventh. In the triple, Stanley was fifth the long jump.
RIP DONOVAN
Journal Sports Correspondent

Doug Borden

Last week’s answers

Taylor Hayes delivers a pitch to a batter in last week’s playoff game.

PITCHING
From page 7

a double. He came home
three times and had an
RBI.
Matt Strott doubled
to drive in Piedmont’s
final two runs. Whitten,
Easton Kirk, Tyler Lusk
and Jaret Prater each
had a single. Lusk had
three RBIs. Kirk drove
in two runs and scored
two runs. Hayes scored
twice. He, Whitten
and Prater had an RBI
apiece. Prater, Lusk,
Young and pinch runner Deven Hincy each
scored once.
In the win Saturday,
Prater’s double was
Piedmont’s only extrabase hit. He scored
once. Strott had a
3-for-5 day at the
plate. Young, Kirk and
Blanchard recorded two

GIRLS
From page 7

extra bases. Tyree singled
and moved into scoring
position on a throw toward
third base. Hulsizer singled
up the middle to drive in
the tying and winning runs.
Williams earned the
win. She gave up six hits,
walked four and recorded 11 strikeouts over
seven innings. Four of the
Warriors’ runs were earned.
Tyree and Mallory
Roberts each went 3-for-3.
Hulsizer had two hits in
two at-bats and drove in
three runs. Tant was 2-for4. Tyree, Tant and Williams
each drove in one run.

hits apiece. Kirk drove
in three runs and Young
scored three times.
Blanchard and Kirk
each scored once and
Young had an RBI. Lusk
and Hayes each added

a hit to the attack and
Lusk drove in a run.
Whitten scored once
and drove in two other
runs. Hincy scored twice
and Mike Rogers once
as courtesy runners.

Lung Cancer
or Colon Cancer

Asbestos exposure was common in many industrial
professions prior to 1980. Many cancers have been linked
to such exposure including:

Lung Cancer • Mesothelioma • Colon Cancer
If you or your loved ones have been diagnosed with
any of these cancers call:

Environmental Litigation Group, PC

1-800-749-9200

No representation is made that the quality of services performed is greater than the quality of services performed by other lawyers.

The Daily Home
The St. Clair Times
Coosa Valley Advantage
Lakeside Magazine

CONSOLIDATED CLASSIFIED
TO THE BEST OF OUR
KNOWLEDGE
All of the ads in this column
represent legitimate offerings,
however
The
Piedmont
Journal does recommend
that readers exercise normal
business caution in responding to ads.

TO THE BEST OF OUR
KNOWLEDGE
All of the ads in this column
represent legitimate offerings,
however
The
Piedmont
Journal does recommend
that readers exercise normal
business caution in responding to ads.

machine operators,
warehouse, electricians,
carpenters, laborers, mig
welders All positions require
experience. Apply online at
simmonsstaffing.com or
call 256-770-7345.
TO THE BEST OF OUR
KNOWLEDGE
All of the ads in this column
represent legitimate offerings,
however
The
Piedmont
Journal does recommend
that readers exercise normal
business caution in responding to ads.

Truck Driver
Trainees
Needed Now!

Become a new driver for
Werner Enterprises!
Earn $750 per week!
No experience needed!
Local CDL Training.
gets you ready ASAP!
1-888-743-4701

TO THE BEST OF OUR
KNOWLEDGE
All of the ads in this column
represent legitimate offerings,
however
The
Piedmont
Journal does recommend
that readers exercise normal
business caution in responding to ads.

local sales, local service, made
in the USA. Grizzard Living
Aids 256-237-2006

TO THE BEST OF OUR
KNOWLEDGE
All of the ads in this column
represent legitimate offerings,
however
The
Piedmont
Journal does recommend
that readers exercise normal
business caution in responding to ads.

after, a Judgment by default
may be rendered against him
in
Case
Number
DR-2014-9001008, in the Circuit Court of Calhoun County,
Alabama.
Done this 15th day of April,
2014.
Eli Henderson
Clerk of the Circuit Court
M. Douglas Ghee
Attorney for Plaintiff
Post Office Box 848
Anniston, Alabama 36202
The Piedmont Journal
Calhoun Co., AL
April 23, 30, May 7, 14, 2014

IN THE PROBATE
COURT OF CALHOUN COUNTY,
ALABAMA

IN RE: ADOPTION OF A.S., A
CHILD BORN TO M.D. ON
DECEMBER 4, 2008.
TO: Christopher Justin Smith
A petition for adoption concerning A.S. having been filed, a
hearing will be held on the 5th
day of June, 2014 at 10:00
A.M. in the Probate Court of
Calhoun County, Alabama. If
you intend to contest this adoption you must file a written response with the Attorney for
Petitioners and the Clerk of the
Probate Court, 1702 Noble
Street, Anniston, Alabama,
36201 within thirty (30) days
from the last day this notice is
published.
ATTORNEY FOR PETITIONER:
WENDY GHEE DRAPER
P.O. BOX 848, ANNISTON,
ALABAMA 36202;
(256) 236-2543
The Piedmont Journal
Calhoun Co., AL
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 2014

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

Default having been made in
the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain
mortgage executed by Wayne
D. Somers and Sheryl L. Somers, husband and wife, to MidFirst Bank, on the 5th day of
January, 2005, said mortgage
recorded in the Office of the
Judge of Probate of Calhoun
County, Alabama, in Mort Book
4280 Page 616; the undersigned MidFirst Bank, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and
by virtue of the power of sale
contained in said mortgage,
will sell at public outcry to the
highest bidder for cash, in front
of the main entrance of the
Courthouse at Anniston, Calhoun County, Alabama, on
June 2, 2014, during the legal
hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the
following described real estate,
situated in Calhoun County, Alabama, to-wit:
The following described real
property located in Calhoun
County, Alabama, and as designated on the Map or Plat of
Subdivision S.E. Boozer Farm
recorded in the Probate Office
of said state and county in Map
book D, on Page 29, to-wit: Lot
Number Three (3), in Block
Number Four (4); situated, lying and being in Calhoun
County, Alabama.
THIS PROPERTY WILL BE
SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE
IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY
EASEMENTS,
ENCUMBRANCES,
AND
EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE
MORTGAGE AND THOSE
CONTAINED
IN
THE
RECORDS OF THE OFFICE
OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY
WHERE THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED.
THIS PROPERTY
WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT
WARRANTY OR RECOURSE,
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS
TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE
SOLD SUBJECT TO THE
RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF
ALL
PARTIES
ENTITLED
THERETO.
This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses
of foreclosure.
The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and
purchase the real estate and to
credit its purchase price

Pursuant to the Judgment of
Divorce entered on 3/8/12 in
Sonya
Olbrantz-McGill
vs.
Keith McGill, Circuit Court of
Calhoun County, Alabama,
Case No. 11DR 11-000072.00,
notice is given that the following described real property will
be sold by public outcry at the
Calhoun County Courthouse,
25 W 11th Street, Anniston,
Alabama, to the highest bidder
on the 29th day of May, 2014,
at 11 o’clock a.m. To-wit: ALL
THAT piece or parcel of land
situate at Commerce Bight, Sittee River in the Stann Creek
District of Belize and being a
portion of land described on a
subdivision plan of survey registered at the Office of the
Commissioner of Lands and
Surveys in Beimopan in Register 13 Entry No. 1639 and
shown as Lot No. 58 Phase II.
Wilford J. Lane
Attorney for Sonya OlbrantzMcGill
1500 Wilmer Avenue
Anniston, Alabama 36201
Telephone: 256-238-8353
The Piedmont Journal
Calhoun Co., AL
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 2014

NOTICE TO
CREDITORS

STATE OF ALABAMA
CALHOUN COUNTY
PROBATE COURT
CASE NO. 2014-0065
IN THE MATTER OF THE
ESTATE OF DALE MURRAY
PUGH, DECEASED
Letters Testamentary on the
estate of DALE MURRAY
PUGH, deceased, having been
granted to CHRISTOPHER D.
ALBERT, the undersigned on
April 08, 2014, by the Honorable Alice K. Martin, Judge of
Probate of said County, notice
is hereby given that all persons
having claims against said estate, are hereby required to
present the same within the
time allowed by law, or the
same will be barred.
CHRISTOPHER D. ALBERT,
Personal Representative of the
Last will and Testament of
DALE MURRAY PUGH, Deceased.
Alice K. Martin
Judge of Probate
The Piedmont Journal
Calhoun Co., AL
April 16, 23, 30, 2014

NOTICE TO
CREDITORS

STATE OF ALABAMA
CALHOUN COUNTY
PROBATE COURT
CASE NO. 2014-0107
IN THE MATTER OF THE
ESTATE OF HATTIE SANFORD GOSS, DECEASED
Letters Testamentary on the
estate of HATTIE SANFORD
GOSS, deceased, having been
granted to SABRINA ANN
SAFERITE, the undersigned
on April 09, 2014, by the Honorable Alice K. Martin, Judge of
Probate of said County, notice
is hereby given that all persons
having claims against said estate, are hereby required to
present the same within the
time allowed by law, or the
same will be barred.
SABRINA ANN SAFERITE,
Personal Representative of the
Last Will and Testament of
HATTIE SANFORD GOSS,
Deceased.
Alice K. Martin
Judge of Probate
The Piedmont Journal
Calhoun Co., AL
April 16, 23, 30, 2014

HouseJacks/Floor Supports/rot seals 205-362-0128
TO THE BEST OF OUR
KNOWLEDGE
All of the ads in this column
represent legitimate offerings,
however
The
Piedmont
Journal does recommend
that readers exercise normal
business caution in responding to ads.